redirecting my documents

[chrbb]

Thinking about implementing redirection on new server to replace roaming profiles.Have I got my facts right?

I can redirect my documents (only want to do staff ) via group policy.

I can redirect to their home directory aready set up and mapped to w:
(I haven't set net use \\server\%homedirectory just net use w: \\server\jbloggs)

If I don't enable this setting 'Offline Files->Do not automatically make redirected folders available offline' a cached copy of my documents remains on the computer, to enable staff to save to my documents when they are at home. This then automatically synchs to the server.

Or have I got entirely the wrong end of the stick

[mrbios]

in group policy on the my documents redirect we have it set as:
"advanced - specify location for various user groups"

in the box below set the group (which in your case would be teacher) then just select "redirect to users home directory"

not sure if thats what you need to know as your offline files bit lost me, but im finding it hard to concerntrate at the moment

alternatively we use \\%HOMESHARE%%HOMEPATH%

[chrbb]

Thanks

the offline bit is I didn't really understand the blurb on microsoft website and just want to make sure that staff can still save to their networked laptops my documents when they are offsite. Does it sychronise when you logon back onto the network?

[mrbios]

ah well we dont have very high security for staff laptops, we run a "you break it at home, we dont fix it" policy in our office :P especially when it comes to crap like AOL, so we just give teachers local accounts to there laptops to do what they want when there off site (also saves us having loads of teachers coming to us asking for software installed)

cant help you there sorry i have all sorts of issues here with syncronising so ive never dived to deep into it

[tom_newton]

AFAIK it's supposed to work that way. I have roaming profiles AND folder redirection on. I am not sure I like it tho.

[DaveP]

...to enable staff to save to my documents when they are at home. This then automatically synchs to the server.

Our staff laptops have their MyDocuments cached for offline use. We are using mandatory profiles. When we configure the laptops for individual users we select the U:\ drive [W:\ in your case] when logged locally on as the end user, right click and specify 'Make availible offline' It then goes through a first time synchronisation. Job done.

Not sure if that helps you, maybe you can use it to compare with your setup?

[plexer]

We use offline files on all our staff laptops.

They all have the same basic software installed on them and then anything else that's department specific.

We don't have lots of teachers coming to us to install other software.

Their h: drive is available when they are not connected to the network and changes are synched next time they logon.

Ben

[SYNACK]

We specify the user documents directory in the "administratively assigned offline files" policy ie \\domain\dfs\docs\%username% this makes sure that it syncs up first time and there is no need to configure it individually per user. We just dump that setting into the staff laptops OU so that it only applies when they are on the laptops and have not had any problems.